Drones To Assist in US Farming

Recently, crop-dusting tests were conducted of the RMAX drone by the University of California at Davis. The setting was the rough terrain found in Napa Valley vineyards. The results were seen to be favorable. Internationally, observers like Gianfrancesco Genoso see the use of drones in farming to be more precise than tractors for spraying crops with fertilizers or pesticides; moreover, unmanned serial vehicles reduce worker exposure to these implements and savings too is realized.

According to Michelle Broder Van Dyke, reporter with Buzzfeed News, Federal authorities in Australia have also approved the use of drones to aid in farming, and Japan has used drones for about 20 years on 40 percent of its rice fields. This past Friday the US Federal Aviation Administration gave approval for drones to fly in the USA. Typically, the RMAX drone can carry up to 60 pounds of fertilizer or pesticide for crop-dusting. The approval measure stipulates drones must be at least 500 feet away from bystanders.